Who we are The World’s 50 Best brand is the leading authority in global gastronomy, international drinks and premium travel space, showcasing worldwide trends and highlighting great restaurants, bars and hotels from all corners of the Earth. Over the last 20-plus years, The World’s 50 Best has provided unrivalled guidance through its lists and events to gourmets, cocktail lovers and travellers, inspiring consumers to discover restaurants, bars and hotels, unveiling up-and-coming chefs and bartenders, exploring travel trends, and highlighting the subtlety and complexity of various cuisines and cultures from around the world. The 50 Best brand is owned and managed by William Reed, the trusted digital, high value data and events company that has been connecting the food and drinks sector for over 160 years. Position The Managing Director will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping and driving the future growth and success of The World’s 50 Best portfolio, as well as joining the broader leadership team of William Reed. What you’ll be doing: Strategic Leadership & Growth: Lead the full World’s 50 Best brand portfolio Shape and execute a long-term vision to expand the brand’s reach and commercial impact. Identify and develop new revenue opportunities, from digital content, sponsorships and partnerships. Drive expansion through strategic partnerships, positioning the brand in established and emerging hospitality destinations. Act as brand ambassador and manage positive, opportunity-driven relationships with stakeholders at all levels from chefs, bartenders, hoteliers, Academy Chairs, high-level sponsorship partners and tourism and government officials Play a wider role as part of the William Reed leadership team, contributing to collaboration, growth and people-first leadership strategy. Global Operational Excellence: Lead, empower and develop a high-performing team across commercial partnerships, content, digital, marketing, PR and operations. Make critical decisions on business operations, ensuring alignment with market trends and client needs. Ensure brand integrity. In particular, the fairness and independence of lists and data through transparent processes and partnerships with independent adjudicators. Ensure compliance, controls and operational efficiency to drive profitability. Brand, Marketing, PR & Comms: Optimise the brand story across digital, social, events and editorial. Work with team to define and implement a global brand strategy that maximises brand awareness, engagement and revenue. Ensure brand consistency across all platforms. Identify and explore opportunity informed by data-driven insight. Create impactful marketing campaigns in collaboration with PR, creative and digital teams. Establish strategic partnerships with destinations, luxury, travel and hospitality brands to elevate brand prestige. Lead by example in embedding a culture that supports brand and company values. Commercial & Revenue Strategy: Lead high-value sponsorship and partnership negotiations with global brands and host destinations. Develop a robust commercial strategy to maximise sustainable profitability and market positioning. Optimise digital monetisation, leveraging branded content, subscription models. Drive commercial opportunities around global sponsorships, host destinations and delegate revenue. Build and nurture relationships with key corporate partners and key industry stakeholders. Content & Digital Growth: Develop a high-impact content strategy for both B2B and B2C audiences. Monetise digital offer via sponsored content, subscriptions, memberships and premium storytelling. Expand audience reach through social media and thought leadership. Innovate with new digital experiences, such as virtual events, masterclasses, and interactive content. Develop strategy for growing digital and attendee revenue and foster the growing digital element of the business. Requirements What you’ll need: Demonstrable Experience – Proven experience as a senior leader with deep experience of owning and managing a P&L. Visionary Leadership – Inspire teams and stakeholders with a clear strategic vision, driving growth while maintaining brand integrity and independence. Strategic Relationship Builder – Engage effectively with global stakeholders, including corporate sponsors, government officials and industry leaders, fostering long-term partnerships. Results-Driven & Commercially Focused – Demonstrate a strong track record of unlocking growth in brand-led businesses, leveraging data and digital platforms to drive development, with deep experience in negotiation, sales and driving revenue growth. Creative & Innovative Thinker – Constantly seek new opportunities and approaches to enhance the brand and engage audiences in fresh and meaningful ways. Cultural Awareness – Experienced in working across diverse markets, understanding local nuances and adapting strategies accordingly. People-First Leadership – Lead with a collaborative and empowering approach, fostering talent development and creating a high-performing, motivated team. Values-Driven – Ensure the integrity of the brand, team and self while upholding governance, ethical standards and best practices. Ambassadorial & Influential – Represent the brand with authority and credibility, building relationships at all levels with authenticity and impact. Entrepreneurial Mindset – Hands-on, proactive and able to contribute strategically while remaining engaged in execution. High Emotional Intelligence – Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to mentor, inspire and develop a diverse team. Other information Company Benefits Include: 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays – increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days. An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”. A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community. Opportunity for hybrid working Contributory Pension Life Assurance Scheme Group Income Protection Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme, Virtual GP service and Access to health & wellbeing resources and tools. Cycle to Work Scheme Electric Car Scheme Why work for us We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics. If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.. Location : London, England, United Kingdom